Aria of the Ascending Soul
Written By: Lady Lunar Phoenix
A/N: Almost caught up! Yay go me!
\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
Hey Julius?
Yes, Soma?
What was the worst thing I did to a previous generation of Yoko's family?
… well a cyclops turned Sophia into a statue..
So, calling Yoko's mom 'Pigeon Stoop' would be a bad idea?
Soma did you get infected with stupidity?!
"You'd think he'd be happy that I could even remember 'that' much." Soma grumbled as he put away his phone.
"That much what, Soma?" Kazu casually asked as he washed another dish in his kitchen.
"Apparently I was involved with turning one of your ancestors into a rest stop for flying rats, and its official term is considered a very vulgar term," Soma grumbled from his seat.
Kazuaki passed another dish to Trevor who was drying said dish with a rag under his paw before distrustfully sliding the dish along.
"... So that is why you're hiding in my kitchen from my mother..."
"I've been learning diplomacy you know," Soma joked, taking the plate from Trevor, and after a tense moment of peaking over the counter top, stuck it in the cabinet above him, then dived down for safety from potential fireballs again.
"So... if you're this ancient vampire, how come I've never seen you in history books?" Kazu inquired as he worked on another plate.
"Well, I was alive when the original Dracula came into power, when he died I just took the name over. More dramatic you know, what with everyone focused on the wrong person and all," Soma replied easily. Take plate, put plate up, dive for cover, wash, rinse, repeat.
"But you remember that life, right? So what else do you remember?" Kazu asked as he placed the last dish down for Trevor, before turning to look at the white haired guy, essentially, at his feet.
"For the most part? I don't remember anything, I started off working from pure instinct. Now that I have time, I only remember things as I learn things. So for example; anything that happened on a day when I had class? I remember. Anything that happened on a day when I didn't have class? I don't recall. But do I remember the Belmont clan came in five rainbow colors of ice cream flavored goodness?" Soma answered in the most, I can almost remember give me a moment, tone of voice before lifting up the lion he had snatched up. "Save Leon, I remember his name and a few other thoughts on him, but nothing concrete at the moment."
Trevor stopped midswipe, while Kazu offered to refill Soma's cup, and moved to the fridge. Allowing Trevor to walk over to a small rack with all his grim determination.
"I'll be honest, I've only been learning any of this today, I think if not for my mediumship I wouldn't believe anything going on." Kazu confessed as he handed over the cup.
"See you got me there. I found out by waking up at the foot of this grim looking castle and the news just kept getting worse. You get the comfort of your own home, I ended up with monsters trying a more direct way of restoring me." Soma commented as Trevor pulled a butchers' knife from the wall mount with his mouth. "
"I don't know, I've always seen spirits, ever since I was little. And honestly? I think I would be happier 'not' seeing them. But with all of today, I can honestly say that I'm grateful for, oh Gods Trevor put down that knife!"
Realizing that the gig was up, Trevor made a dash for Soma with the Butchers' knife clenched tightly in his soft plush mouth. "Ice Cream Flavors are we?!"
Kazu had to think fast and in desperation to keep a horrible murder from happening in his apartment, thus getting evicted, he did the only thing he could do in time. Seeing that Trevor had a butchers' knife firmly in his mouth, Kazu did a crocodile clap down on his poor spiritual guardian pinning the poor dog in his arms. At least Trevor wasn't attempting to look human at the moment, so it just 'looked' like an eager retriever and nothing else.
Yet it was Somas' eerie calm that was starting to distress Kazu even more, since the guy just had a plush toy with a butchers' knife come at him. Yet he sat there with a cup of water in his left hand, his right knee up and resting his right elbow on that knee. "You know, witches serve me, including your clan when I want them to." Then Soma narrowed his eyes in a non threatening, trying to remember way and asked, "So which one of you sold out your pure blood line by putting the supposed 'devils harlot blood' in it?"
The room went painfully quiet at that, Trevor found himself feeling woefully unsupported as the butchers' knife fell from his mouth at that question. Thinking back on those who had been pulled to evil's lull, no matter how briefly. Soma caught the dropped butchers' knife with ease and put it back on the counter without a word. Just sitting there looking at Trevors' furry face with all the smugness of a bratty kid who knew he had everyone where he wanted them.
"Stop."
The word was uttered by the lion sitting at Soma's left side, in a language that even Trevor considered ancient. Unlike Trevor, the lion had a voice box installed and it 'worked. Allowing the room in general to hear the newly imprisoned soul as it tried to communicate. The voice was strained as though the word had been forced out by someone trying to scream. Soma's expression softened a bit as he picked the lion up and held it up for further inspection. For Kazu the expression on Soma's face was of someone who recalled a fond memory.
It was strangely amusing that Kazuaki had a vortex of evil openly admit he could take control of a whole family of hunters... sitting on his kitchen floor and minding a stuffed lion. It had all the ear markings of a potential anime in the making. Here he was, a genetic dead end to a family of witches that was supposed to be adopted out with the lord of all evil sitting on his kitchen floor.
Kazu sank down to the floor and found himself fixated on the guy in front of him and couldn't be sure if it was out of his own mental state, or because he was being 'controlled'. All the years of dealing with spirits, both good and bad, and here was a strange platter of questions. Finding out he wasn't wanted, that his mother went behind the back of an apparent clans' worth of people to keep him. It made all those years of being forced to live apart from his supportive older sister and his aloof mother worth it. At least to a degree when the alternative was that he could have been abandoned in an orphanage with his talents and no support.
How would his life had changed if his sister wasn't a part of it? If she hadn't made Trevor, or if an orphanage took Trevor away as Kazuaki got older? Who would believe that? There were those who claimed he was a fraud considering his abilities. Others hounded him constantly to 'get advice' from deceased family members. Meanwhile, sitting on the floor of his apartment was the very person that the families he was connected to had been destroying.
"You look like you could use a break, have a seat," Soma casually offered, patting a spot near him. Yet for his casual tone there was something in his eyes that was far more shrewd. "Or maybe I should give you my number and let you call me when you want someone to talk to."
"Is it that obvious?"
"One day I'll tell you about how I regained my memories," Soma answered with a shrug before drinking a bit from his cup.
"Are you done trying to corrupt my son, you incarnation of evil?" Valencia growled out from the living room.
"Just trying to decide if I should just make him submit or bite him, why?" Soma called out in a deadpan voice.
"Are you serious?" Valencia demanded in growing anger.
"No, I'm 'Soma' so-ma." Soma answered, ignoring the face palming pooch.
The only thing stopping Valenica from charging into the Kitchen was the knock at the door and the subsequent sound of it opening.
"Hello!" Yoko's voice was no where near the usual perky excited tones, and more a worried, "where's my slippers!"
"I just can't win at anything today can I?" Soma bemoaned as he curled up to tuck his head against his knees.
"Soma had to take them, there weren't enough slippers Yoko!" Mina called out in answer as she stood up to greet her returning 'big sister'. She reached the hallway and found Yoko disgruntle self tiptoeing down the hallway barefooted. With a much larger group of plushys' than she had anticipated "OH you brought everyone!"
"Everyone?!" Valenica parroted, as her eyes got big. "Yoko who else did you subject to this degrading life style?!"
"Ahh well... I didn't ask, however; the numbers are kinda speaking for themselves..." Yoko answered while Trevor, had left the kitchen and sped towards the door and slammed right into her ankle.
"Welcome to Belmont Robbins," Soma called out.
"How dare you!" Valencia roared in growing outrage.
"Well Soma seems to be of good cheer," Simon noted as he peered out from behind Yoko's legs.
"Ah the reincarnation, what's a 'Belmont Robbins'?" Juste asked, as he worked on his newly granted ability to move.
"Its a play on 'Baskin Robins' and basically he only can remember us in terms of ice cream flavors. Not the slayers of his evil self." Trevor snarked as he sat down and shot murderous looks at a certain person in the kitchen, an expression that had no sign on his plushy face.
"So what flavor am I?" Christopher asked, awkwardly walking down the hall, having four limbs looked more helpful at the moment.
"Even if he could hear us, don't encourage the guy." Trevor scolded as he realized Yoko wasn't attempting to walk further into the room.
"So we have Leon and Trevor, that one is clearly Simon and I see two more... You turned all but one of our esteemed Belmont ancestors into TOYS?!" Valencia was torn between growling and yelling since the walls weren't 'that' thick between apartments.
"Uh... three..."
"So would you like Julius' cell? That way after your mother kills your sister you still have someone you're related to for help in cases of emergency?" Soma offered casually as he looked over at Kazuaki.
The poor, frazzled Kazu who wasn't sure what he was going to do with his life at this point. He sank his head into his hands as his sister made her way further into the living room towards their parents and Mina. He struggled to find his center, to ground himself as he felt himself overwhelmed by everything going on around him. It had been a long time since he had seen Snuggywuggy, but at least he 'knew' what that warrior looked like. The other three were brand new and somehow he found himself feeling intimidated by the mere presence these three new souls possessed.
They apparently never learned to spiritually manifest themselves as Trevor could. But even so Kazu could feel the sheer power they possessed when they were alive. Somehow he was 'related' to these men? Even if it was indirectly, he could trace these people in his own blood line and yet... Yet he wasn't good enough because he was male and in a branch of female witches?
"Do you need a break? I don't know what was going on earlier, but if you need a break," Soma suddenly offered startling Kazu into looking at him.
"So do you read minds by any chance?"
"No. But I didn't get to where I am by being blind or stupid. Sides I know how exhausting it can feel when your whole life gets flipped upside down. Its not like I was born and groomed to accept my place as the supreme Dark Lord. I found that out last year, so crippling shock shoved within the span of a few hours is.. well I share your situation in a sense."
Kazu looked at Soma, listening to the guys' candied words calm, aloof, yet capable of occasional displays of hammy excitement and apparent support. When one considered Soma's words then his situation didn't sound as serious as Soma's some would say. But at least Soma had acknowledged that, while different, they both had experienced shake ups that they had to overcome.
"I'm.. I feel like I should have a better grasp of this than I am. I've been a medium all my life, I've seen spirits all my life and I knew that my sister and mother could cast spells. Yet for some reason, all of this... I just need some time to myself I think." Kazu finally confessed as he ran his fingers through his hair and leaned back so he could uselessly look for non-existing answers on the ceiling.
\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
"I've never seen Draculas' new form, where is he?" Richter asked as he looked around the apartment. His lack of 'use' had left him unable to see anything save through the eyes of his plush body, and the newness of the location was rather exciting.
"Yeah, he never entered Yoko's quarters so..." Christopher was just as curious, as he studied the modern Japanese apartment.
"He's sitting on the floor in the kitchen, he was in here for quite a while. Occasionally talking to the others, but he's been oddly focused on Leon. Its odd in that he doesn't have very serious concrete memories of his past life save how to use his powers, but he has enough to be a brat." Trevor explained gesturing towards the kitchen counter where Soma had taken up hiding.
"Well, given what we know, he may lack the memories, or be reclaiming them, but he certainly has all the emotional self control of his life as a Vampire Lord. I do hope that Alucard returns soon so that there is someone with strong enough ties to hold him back." Juste added, his own eyes focused the kitchen area as well.
"Well I can tell you something interesting about Leon. Apparently when Ms. Mina over there, made his stuffed body, she included a voice box with it. He's been talking through it but only with a great deal of difficulty. I'm not surprised given how new he is to this, but from what I can gather he can't just 'talk' like us, 'everyone' is going to hear him when he talks." Trevor commented casually as he gestured towards the same area where the patriarch of their clan was currently being kept.
"You know... they're so adorable with the wagging tails and ears, its hard to imagine they are all vampire hunters..." Mina commented thus freezing every Belmont into shocked statues. For all non mediums, what they saw appeared to be two eager toy dogs and two toys bears looking around, tail wagging ears pricked or wiggling sort of cuteness.
And for all non mediums in the room, they realized that a conversation was going on that they obviously were not a part of.
"I'll go grab Leon, Trevor, please teach everyone else how 'not' to show their emotions through their stuffed bodies," Simon grumbled as he got up from his seat. Leaving Juste and Richter turning their heads and looking down at their own backsides to discover that yep, wagging tails.
"Oh, you make that sound 'so' easy Mr. 'I only have a pair of ears' but I assure you, these tails don't stop on command. I've had mine for over two decades and the wagging NEVER STOPPED!" Trevor gave a disheartened sigh, his golden retriever body flattened itself onto the floor into a dejected posture. "When you've had enough time to be used to moving around and just... well Sophia and the rest of her family had a hand in teaching Simon and I. You'll be able to make your human soul manifest, at least it will look manifested to Kazuaki and us, eventually."
Simon walked across the floor, getting annoyed at the feeling of being stared at by those at the table. Sure he had gotten used to being stared at by the kids at the Vatican, but it was more the same as how they looked that the priests and Cardinals. Being clueless children, they assumed him to be a high tech toy or just extremely cool. Now, well those here clearly had a far better picture of what they were looking at and he 'knew' there were comments about how he looked.
Stuffing the irritation he reached the kitchen and began looking for Leon, running first into Soma who was busy trying to give the plush a more Leon type hair style with his mane. Soma must have some type of memory recognition if he was fixating on Leon. Yoko's brother sat staring at the ceiling in this kind of zoned out depressed way, that made Simon wonder if he should schedule some time with a priest for the guy.
He held his paws out to Soma, his face pointed directly at Leon, for which he was grateful that Soma wasn't an idiot. The reborn Dark Lord placed the lion in his care without objection, and allowed Simon to return to his clansmen. Past all those stares...
"I see some irritated ear wiggling, hey Simon, why don't 'you' learn to control your excessive displays of internal thought?" Trevor taunted back, while the living made several 'aww so cute' statements while KNOWING he was a powerful hunter.
So Simon did as Simon did.
He walked over placed Leon down into their circle to the best of his ability since Leon's design gave him a tail and expected him to sit like the bears or humans would. But once he got Leon, sort of right he moved back to his spot and proceeded to kick Trevor right through the opening into the kitchen. Throw back his arms in a clear 'SCORE' posture as Trevor shouted 'Bastard' midflight as he soared like the plush he was and in the kitchen they could hear the pairs reaction.
"Trevor?!"
"See, I don't even know what happened, but I'd bet money someone is holding my mere existence as responsible for Trevor just being made like a furry football."